Someone New
by restricted234
Summary: Read to find out what happened to the daughter Shepard never knew...Please leave comments and suggestions on how you think the story should go.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Deana. I was born in 2184 and it's rumored that Commander Shepard is my mother. Though no one from this place is willing to give me a confirmation, I did a little research. Through the extranet, and from talking with Aunt Miranda, I've also deduced that she doesn't know I exist; nor does my father. I had a hunch about who my father was but that wasn't as clear. And being stuck on this station was nothing short of boring, I had to find ways to entertain myself.

Somewhere at the beginning of the Reaper Wars, more specifically after the Collector's disappeared; Artemis Station became a 'drifting' orphanage. The ship slowly made its way from system to system, planet to planet, looking for children who had lost their homes and families to the Reapers. Hundreds of children of various species resided here and like the Quarians, when they turned their species equivalent of eighteen, they could leave if they chose too. It varied from species to species but when you left the ship, there was little chance of returning. Some have spent their entire lives aboard this ship, they are the ones that usually helped with the smaller children as nurses and teachers, along with the chores that had to be done to keep a ship this size running smoothly.

The others would go and if they came back, they usually brought news with them. News from the outside was rare and to us older kids, hints onto what was really out there. Even though the news they brought was usually grim, that didn't stop it from spreading. The adults try to keep most of it under wraps, but like I said before, gossip spreads quickly.

Like most of the kids here, I've been here nearly my entire life. Aunt Miranda doesn't like to talk about my younger years and no one else knew anything about before I got here. She also never explained what happened to my parents.

When I was about six or seven, she would come and visit me regularly; a lot more than she does now. Her visits as of late had become less frequent and I had begun to wonder if I had driven her off.

I shifted in my seat trying to find a more comfortable position on the long couch that was pushed up against a wall of glass. I turned to look at the stars that were flying by and began to think about what I could do next. My mind drifted to the topic of why I was stuck here. Being only sixteen, I wasn't old enough to leave and look for information with my own resources. Miranda's sister Oriana would sometimes send me information to help my research and sometimes it was just the news. But she did this secretly for me so of course Aunt Miranda couldn't know about it. Plus, she had her own life to live and rarely had time to send me even the news.

I turned away from the window and stood up. I walked out into the commons area and looked around. Noisy with all the chatter of the other kids; I walked down the pathway that divided the large area. I strode into the elevator and nodded to the operator. All the elevators on the ship were operated by guards as the younger kids didn't know how to operate them. I rode in silence and kept thinking of theories about what my mother and father would be doing if they were even still alive.

I know, I know; I was torturing myself but I couldn't help it. Aunt Miranda didn't help with containing my curiosity either. She would let things slip like, how much I was just like my mother. This would lead to a barrage of questions from me and that only lead her to scold me and clam up. She apparently knew my father as well. When she wasn't looking, I would steal glances at her PDA and from what I understood I got my biotics from him. No name was mentioned in these reports, but yet again Miranda had always kept it under strict wraps.

That was the only time I really got to see her. When she would come see me, it was usually for a check-up. She would send me a message telling me she was coming and when she got there I was always there at the docking bay to greet her. She would pull me into a hug and tell me she was glad to see me. After all the hellos and greetings, she would always get straight down to business. Like any other check-up, she made sure my implants and me as a whole were healthy. Sometimes I felt like she was just using me because she would get so into her work that she would forget about me and ignore me. But there were also times when she treated me like I was more than just a patient. When something truly upset me she would hold me close and comfort me. Aunt Miranda was the closest thing to family I had and I held on to that. When I was younger, she would come by to read to me and rock me to sleep. That stopped when I turned six though. I guess you could say she was more my mom than anyone. Since she was the only one from the outside world who really cared and she couldn't have children herself, I guess she saw me as a daughter. A voice broke my train of thought.

"Deana, come to my office immediately please. I would like to speak to you in private." Oh great, what did he want. It was never a good sign when your Captain decided it was time for a 'private' chat.

"Yes sir. I'll be right there." I looked at the operator and he just nodded, pushing a few holographic buttons.

The elevator continued to hum as it made its way to the top of the station where the captain's cabin was located. I dwelled on the fact that I was being summoned. I hoped that they had gotten a new kid who had been explained what this place was and was then ready for a tour, but that didn't happen often as most of the kids that were picked up were to young to understand what was going on.

The humming of the elevator came to a stop and the glass door slid open, revealing a hallway. I brushed off the fuzz that clung to the front of my uniform and walked out. Standing outside the door; I took a deep breath, knocked and then walked inside.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ah Deana; I've been expecting you." The captain closed the file cabinet he was looking in. Captain Vernor was a nice enough man, but he didn't have a lot of patience for kids. After he was forced to retire from the Alliance; due to a crippling injury acquired during the Battle of Earth, he snagged this job when the old captain decided it was time to retire.

He limped his way over to his desk and sat down in his chair. He looked at his laptop screen, typed a few things into it only to shut it down a few seconds later. I stood there and looked at him, waiting for him to tell me to sit down or something.

"Deana, I called you in here to clarify some things on your records." He motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs across from him. I sat down in the one on the left. Shifting uncomfortably in the plastic seat, I looked down into my lap.

"Now," he pulled open a desk drawer and picked up a data pad. It glowed orange and I could see a backward picture of Miranda through the transparent screen.

"Why do you have that?" I asked him pointing to the picture. He blinked at me then followed my finger.

"For records sake, we want to keep everyone safe on this station and that includes security checks on all personnel that comes through here. He scrolled down the PDA with his finger till he stopped the screen from scrolling.

"Ok…let's see here…" He scanned the words with his eyes and I watched them go back and forth. "So Deana, it says here that you have been here since you were born correct?"

"For the majority of it yes, I arrived here when I was about three months old." I didn't look at him and shifted into a more up right position.

"I see and when is your birthday?" The captain leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

"I don't actually know sir." My vision blurred as tears started to fill my eyes. I still didn't look at him. "Everyone celebrates it on the day I got here and like I said, I was about three months old by then."

"Hmmm…Yes and your parents?"

"I'm sorry sir. I really can't help you." My voice cracked and it only showed the fear that was growing. The tears that had built up started to fall into my lap. I quickly wiped them away and looked at him. "Is that all sir or is there more?" I gathered my resolve and gave him a cold stare.

"Only one more than you may go; it also says here that you had an L5x biotic implant when you were four?" The captain leaned forward and put his hands under his stubbly blonde chin and stared at me.

"Yes, I've also been receiving training since I was six." I kept up the cold stare letting him know that he wasn't getting anything else useful out of me.

He saw my expression and took it to heart. He turned around in his chair and faced the giant glass window that held a view of the entire bunker area of the ship. This area was where all of the children slept and played.

I got up and walked towards the door. When the door opened I nearly ran into a Turian who towered over me.

"Excuse me." He said as he stepped to the side.

"Thanks." I walked past him and tried not to stare. He had a large scar running the right side of his face. It looked old but had not faded. He made me nervous because he would not stop staring at me. I glanced behind me one more time and I saw him shake his head and walk into the office.

As the door closed, I turned around and listened. The conversation was muddled but some parts could be made out. I made out the words 'Garrus' and 'Normandy' I would research those names later but I decided to head back to my room instead.

I walked up to the elevator and found the guard inside knocked out. "JAKE!" I yelled as I ran into the elevator. Something stirred above me and I looked up. A flash of deep blue caught my eye then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

I groaned and rubbed my head. Reaching up, I found a large knot had formed on the top of my head. I looked around but I couldn't see anything.

"Hello?" I called out. My call echoed throughout the room. Sitting up, I was feeling my way around when my fingertips brushed the cold steel wall. "Anyone there?"

I twisted my body so that I could plant my feet on the floor. My body felt so heavy. I tried to stand but as soon as I put weight on my left ankle, a sharp pain shot up my leg. I flopped back onto the bed and felt for my ankle. It was swollen; I groaned as I lied back onto the bed and yelled, "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLO OOOOOOOO." I was getting aggravated about being ignored and I knew someone was there, I could feel it.

Since I couldn't see, my other senses went into overdrive. I could smell dingy cotton wafting throughout the room. I didn't hear anything but I could feel the vibrations of something in motion and the eyes of someone staring. It sent a shiver down my spine and I put my guard up.

I waved my arms in front of me to get a better sense of my surroundings. There was nothing above me and when I reached back I felt another metal wall. I ran my hands over the cool surface to confirm its existence. I also pounded on it and it echoed.

I put my arms down only to feel the rough texture of a blanket beneath me. I moved my hands around till they hit a metal frame. Well at least I had been kidnapped by 'kind' people, ones who gave their prisoners beds at least. Aunt Miranda would be so pleased to hear I was at least 'comfortable'. I sighed and put my arm over my eyes. It was comforting despite the fact that my world was still completely dark.

Evidently I had fallen asleep as I was shaken awake. I opened my eyes but didn't move, it was still dark. The clawed hands that gripped my shoulder shook me even harder, so hard that it gave me whiplash as he forced me to sit up.

"I'm awake asshole. What?"

"Time to go." He was definitely Turian. He pulled me up by the arm and shoved me out of what I assumed was the door. I started to feel panic rise as there had to be light by now.

"Hey, I can't see… why can't I see?" I waved my arms around to feel what was around me. The Turian didn't answer and grabbed my arm again. He started to drag me down what sounded like an empty hallway. It echoed with our footsteps. I started to struggle against his grip only to have him tighten it.

Adrenaline was coursing through my veins so I didn't feel my ankle twist again. He just kept moving and dragged me even when I stumbled. I suddenly remembered that I had biotics at my disposal. I sent a shockwave toward the arm and I heard a grunt as the hand let go.

I have to say that being blind in a situation like this wasn't easy. I reached out and stumbled till I felt the nearest wall. I ran along it trying to feel my way forward. All of a sudden the wall turned and naturally, I turned with it.

"OUCH! Son of a bitch!" I yelled as I slammed my hip against a console that had been conveniently placed there. Grasping my hip with one hand, I felt my way to a safer place with the other; that place was between two fuel tanks, and I sank to the floor.

"Ok," I said to myself breathing hard. "First, get holds of yourself, second do NOT panic, you're only going to get yourself caught." I sat there and pondered how this had all happened. This whole situation was a giant mess and it had happened so fast that I hadn't had time to think about what happened let alone figure out an escape route. 'You were knocked out for most of it idiot and as for the fact that you are now blind makes you pretty vulnerable.' Thank you for stating the obvious brain.

Distant gun fire brought me out of my thoughts. I froze without breathing or moving. I heard the gunfire getting closer. I heard the door on the far side of the room slide open. The spray of bullets and return fire were deafening. I put my hands up to my ears and curled into a ball.

"EDI I need those doors locked NOW!" a strong female voice demanded as a few more shots were heard. I heard the door slide shut and ding as it locked.

"Shepard, they will override my code any minute." I sat there shaking. Shepard? Oh no. THE Commander Shepard, savior of the Galaxy. I whimpered and started to shake.

"Shh…did you hear that?" I heard the shifting of armor.

"I did Shepard, it came from over there." Footsteps were getting closer and closer. My resolve to just sit there broke and I panicked.

"PLEASE! Don't shoot!" I cried from my ball trying hard not to let my panic consume me.

"Who are you?" Shepard's tone was serious and militaristic.

"My name is Deana." I said as I uncurled from my ball and crawled out from my hiding spot, feeling around as to not run into anything. A hand grabbed my arm and my resolve disappeared again. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" I sent a shockwave toward the source of the arm and I heard a crash. I found myself in a corner and I shook. Someone groaned from the other side of the room.

"Are you alright Shepard?" EDI's voice was distant as if she were on the other side as well.

"That was stupid, I'm fine EDI." She must have been up because I heard the brushing of armor. "Where's Miranda?"

Miranda? No, it couldn't be…

"She is on her way I believe." It sounded like an Omni tool had opened and I heard faint beeps as if someone were typing something.

Still shaking, I went into catatonic shock. Everything was dark; I didn't know where I was. Tears began to streak down my face as the true situation finally sank in. Footsteps could be heard getting closer and from the same direction that I had come from. I stopped breathing to get a better listen.

"Damn it." It was definitely Aunt Miranda's voice.

"AUNT MIRANDA?!" I yelled from my corner and without thinking.

"Deana? DEANA!" I felt a pair of arms encircle me and I started to sob. "Shh, everything is going to be alright now." She pulled me close and rocked me until Shepard interrupted us.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Her voice was filled with confusion and anger.

"Later Shepard. Are you alright Deana?" She cupped my face into her hand.

"Aunt Miranda I-"Tears started to choke me and she pulled me close again.

"Shepard, I must advise that we resolve this elsewhere." I heard EDI pull out her gun again.

"Right, Miranda bring her with us." Shepard also pulled out her gun and popped the heat sink. "Normandy this is Shepard, we need immediate evac." A small voice acknowledged the order.

"Aunt Miranda, I-" I gripped her sleeve and sniffled. "I can't see. I'm blind."


	4. Chapter 4

There was silence in the room, only the pounding in the door. The enemy was trying to force their way into the room.

"Can you carry her Miranda? We don't have time to…" her sentence was cut off as the door was being forced open.

"Sure; Deana," Miranda said as she put her hands to frame my face. "Hang onto me ok? And put up a barrier got it?" I nodded as I climbed onto her back. Gunfire could be heard behind us as we made it off the ship. I felt Miranda jump a little to make it onto the Normandy. Two more sets of footsteps thudded into the airlock and the door hissed as it closed.

"Get us outta here Joker! Is everyone alright?" Shepard said and I heard armor clink against the wall.

"Aye Aye, Commander." Joker replied. "I see we have a new recruit as well. Nice to see they're starting them young now."

"We are fine Shepard." EDI said as she walked through the door and into the cockpit.

"Aunt Miranda?" My voice came out squeaky. I felt exhausted and thought I was going to pass out on Miranda's back.

"Take her to the med bay, then report to my cabin as WE need to have a chat Lawson." According to the sound of her voice, she didn't sound at ALL happy. I heard her walk out of the airlock leaving me and Miranda alone.

Miranda carried me all the way to the med bay. The door slid open and some muffled conversation and shuffling could be heard. I found myself sitting on a bed when I felt hands touching me.

"NO!" I slapped at the hands and started to panic. "Please don't…" Tears were beginning to form and I closed my eyes, the tears spilled down my face.

"It's alright Deana, my name is ..." Her voice was kind and patient. But I continued to fight her.

NO! My mind screamed as I let another shockwave go. Not two seconds later, I felt a prick in my right arm. I felt my consciousness slipping as I whispered, "Aunt Miranda, please… I'm so scared." And then I slipped back into the darkness.

When I woke up, I blinked. Well at least I could see, a little anyway. I groaned and shifted to sit up. Everything was so blurry.

"…other than the twisted ankle she seems fine. Just scared, and the toxins seem to be wearing off. Whoever had her pumped a lot of drugs into her system. The loss of her sight was a result of dextro-protein ingestion. Although I'm surprised there weren't any more symptoms, dextro-protein can have some very serious side effects. I've treated her for that and besides staying off her ankle for a few days she should make a full recovery. The sedative I gave her should also be wearing off soon and she should be waking up."

I sat up with effort and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"Speaking of…how are you feeling Deana?" The bright light from her Omni tool hurt my eyes and I groaned, flinching away from it. "Sorry. Deana I'll ask again…"

"I'm fine. Everything is just so fuzzy." I rubbed my eyes. "Where is Aunt Miranda?" I blinked a couple more times trying to clear my vision.

"She's still in a meeting with Shepard; I'll let her know you're awake." walked toward a console on her desk. I followed her with my eyes and a tall figure caught my attention. He was definitely human and had dark hair, which was all I could make out as everything was still blurry. I shook my head and rubbed the heels of my hands into my eyes.

"You alright?" he said as he took a step closer.

"I'm fine." I said defensively. I still had one hand rubbing an eye, I squinted at him with the other. "And who are you?"

"I'm General Kaiden Alenko, Alliance Navy. It's nice to meet you Deana…" He left the question hanging about my last name. I stopped rubbing my eye and dropped my hand. What was I supposed to say? Lawson?

"I don't know what my last name is; suppose it doesn't matter considering." I averted my eyes and left his outstretched hand hanging. He put it down when he realized I wasn't going to shake it. My vision had cleared enough to see the frown that had appeared on his face.

The door to the med bay opened and more people walked in. One of them wore a white skin tight suit and was the first to reach me.

"Are you alright? I was worried sick." Miranda put my face between her hands and looked me over.

"I'm fine. Nothing serious." I removed her hands and got down from the bed. Completely forgetting about my ankle, it decided to give way. Miranda caught me and held me steady. I hissed as my ankle started to throb.

"Be careful, Deana. I don't need you broken." Miranda helped me back onto the bed. When I was settled again, I took a good look around. The med bay was kind of cold and more than a little sterile. Duh, it was a medical bay; and by the looks of it fully equipped. Two rows of beds lined the walls with the exception of a desk that sat under a giant window that looked out into the mess hall. A group stood near the door. From what I could tell there was an Asari, two humans and a Turian. My thoughts froze as I stared at the Turian.


	5. Chapter 5

Biotics crackled from my hands and before I knew it hands were on my arms so that I couldn't use them. I snapped out of my fury the instant I realized who was holding them. I extinguished the field immediately.

"Garrus, I think you might want to sit this one out." Shepard looked at the Turian and he nodded.

"I think I'll just…" Kaiden awkwardly gestured towards the door and walked out, brushing his hand against Shepard's before he left. The gesture was small but it didn't escape my attention.

"No sense as to getting involved anyway." Garrus turned and walked out the still open door. Shepard folded her arms over her chest and took a step toward us.

"I'm Commander…"

"I know who you are." I said avoiding her gaze.

"Alright then, Miranda filled me in on your situation." She unfolded her arms and placed them behind her back and started to pace the length of the room. I didn't say anything and still avoided her gaze.

The room was silent. Every person waiting for the other one to talk; or move.

"My question is WHY you were on that merc vessel? And on a personal note, why do you keep calling Miranda aunt?" she took another step toward us. Her features became more defined as she got closer. Her green eyes had a cold accusing look to them and her brow was knitted together. Her dark auburn hair was long and braided to one side. A scar still remained on her left cheek from when she was 'reborn' by Cerberus. Shepard was average in height and build but I had a feeling she was a lot stronger than she looked.

I looked at her, stared at her actually. "With all due respect, I'd like to speak to Aunt Miranda alone first." The hands on my arms tightened their grip. We stared at each other for a few minutes before Shepard finally caved in.

The Asari laid a hand on Shepard's shoulder and they looked at each other. Shepard gave an exasperated sigh then said,

"Fine, but only for a few minutes; then I want answers." She gave Miranda a look that could have killed and she walked out of the med bay with the tan woman and the Asari in tow.

I sighed and looked at . She looked up from her data pad;

"Just a few more questions and then I'll go." She set the data pad down on the desk and opened her Omni tool. She stared at it as charts flew by on the screen. "First of all, you didn't answer my question from earlier, do you feel alright?" she continued to mess with the Omni tool.

"I have a slight headache and my ankle hurts. Besides being a little stiff I feel fine." I followed the doctor with my eyes as she ran more tests.

"Well, you seem healthy enough," Her silver brow knitted together in confusion. As she flipped through some charts, I looked at Miranda. She had a worried look on her face and she had started to pace. I'd only seen her do this once before and that was when the former captain had called her up to his office. I was ten then and she had instructed one of the nurses to take me to my room. The nurse locked me in there for the rest of the day. I didn't see Miranda for a whole month after that.

Though the ship was boring and strict, but I was beginning to miss it. It was my home after all and with all the crap that had been happening to me, I didn't know when I would be going back. I missed my friends, the few that I had anyway; and most of all I missed having familiar faces.

"Deana," the concerned doctor's face snapped me out of my thoughts. "Your DNA readings seem awfully familiar. Is there anything I need to know?" She looked between Miranda and me. Miranda stopped pacing and turned on the doctor.

"Could we talk in private?" Miranda practically dragged the doctor out the door. I watched silently as they disappeared. As soon as the door shut, I curled up on my bed. The room was still cold so I wrapped myself up in my arms and pulled my knees in.

If it weren't for my ankle I would have gone after them. Screw the consequences, if Miranda caught me so be it. It's not like we were at home where she could ground me.

Aunt Miranda had only grounded me once for snooping. She had caught me spying in on one of her video chats that she held privately in her office, I was eight and was grounded for two weeks. When a kid gets grounded on the ship; which given it doesn't happen very often considering there aren't a lot of 'parent' figures to issue them, the punishment is issued ship wide. And when you get grounded, you can't do anything. They pretty much strip you of all extranet and video privileges; you can't go to anyone else's room, nor could anyone come to yours. Plus an early curfew, it was pretty humiliating. Back then, my curfew had been eight o'clock at night, it was reduced to six and lights went out at seven-thirty. All meals were delivered to your room and you ate alone. The only place you were allowed to go was school and back.

Those two weeks were some of the worst times of my life. Isolated and lonely I spent most of my time thinking, reading and coloring. I also made one of my first friends during this period.

Ironically enough, my first real friend was a Quarian named Kale and he loved to mess with technology. Especially the ships, he was attempting to reroute the ships power when he fell through my ceiling.


	6. Chapter 6

That's right; he crashed right on my bed. The duct he had been crawling through had given under his weight and collapsed.

"BOSH'TET!" he yelled as he got up. After brushing the dust off himself and checked his suit for punctures, he noticed I had been staring at him. He was older than me by what looked like two years. I blinked my big, bright green eyes from behind my desk chair. I had been coloring at my desk when he fell. His glowing eyes blinked a few times before he broke the silence.

"I uhhh…." He looked at the wreckage and began to nervously rubbing his hands together. "I'm so sorry about th…" The guards came in and escorted him out. It wasn't until later that I learned his name and that him and his buddy Jona, were trying to reroute the ship's central battery to run their experiment.

Kale and Jona's punishment was to repair everything damaged in their adventure, and for Kale, that included my ceiling. He spent a lot of time in my room fixing it and we got pretty close after that. When Kale left for his pilgrimage though, he never came back. I discovered from one of the teachers though that Kale had encountered a mercenary group and was currently missing. That had been a couple months ago and I missed him.

"Deana?" I heard Miranda's voice in the distance and slowly opened my eyes. Apparently I had fallen asleep again. I sat up and avoided her gaze. I had dreamed about Kale and I made me feel guilty about everything. Kale had helped me hack through the firewalls so I could access restricted files and sites to help in my search for my birth parents. I loved Miranda, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Oriana had been sworn to secrecy, to keep this from her.

After rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. "So what's the plan now? You saved me from that Turian and off the ship. And now I'm here." I waved my arm as a gesture to the ship. I looked at her with an anxious glance.

"Technically Shepard saved you." Miranda pulled herself onto the bed and sat next to me. "And you should really thank her; she's been through a lot and deserves more appreciation." She nudged me with a smile on her face trying to get me to. I averted my gaze away but Miranda could see right through me. "This is her ship you know." I was silent and looked around the med bay. My eyes looked through the window where I could see a female Quarian and the Turian from earlier and it looked like they were arguing.

"You're so much like her," her voice was filled with hurt and regret. I looked at her and a spark had developed in her eyes. "Deana, there's something-"

"She's my mom isn't she?" I looked her straight in the eyes when I asked this question. All my fears and hopes were coursing through my veins. She just stared at me with a surprised look on her face. Tears started to build behind my eyes. She was silent for a while; I shut my eyes tight and let the tears that had pooled there fell. Since I was ten, I've been looking for the answers to who my birth parents were. Everything I'd theorized and worked for since that time resided in this answer.

"Deana…"

"Answer the question." I looked at her with fury in my eyes. I didn't let up till she started to pick at her nails. She sighed and looked at me with tears in her bright blue eyes.

"I-"The look on her face said everything.

That was the only answer I needed. Ignoring the throbbing in my ankle, I bolted for the door and was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

"DEANA wait…" Miranda was almost as quick as I was even with a twisted ankle. I didn't stop for anything as soon as exited the med bay. I ran straight into the female Quarian I saw earlier. I pushed right passed her and headed straight for the elevator. I pushed a button on the elevator screen and sank to the floor. The lift started to move, adrenaline was pumping through my veins so I couldn't feel my ankle pulse. I looked at the unwrapped part of my foot; it had swollen pretty big despite the fact that it was wrapped tightly. I cried from the onslaught of feelings that had rushed on to me then. I started to notice the pain in my ankle when the elevator door opened. The Asari from earlier walked into the elevator, I crawled my way past her trying not to jerk around my ankle.

She didn't realize someone was there till the door was already closed. I pulled myself into a sitting position outside the elevator and listened. Other than the hum of the engines, I heard three separate voices coming from the hall between the core and the hallway where I was sitting. They were muffled through the door. I stayed where I was till the voices disappeared.

I looked around me and crawled through the door closest to me. The door hissed open and I crawled down the hall. Coming to the stairs, I pulled myself up to my feet and hopped my way down them clutching anything sturdy to keep my balance.

Once I was down the stairs I climbed to the back of the room. In the back, a deep red light created shadows of the pipes in the ship and I made it my hiding spot for the rest of the day.

I cried some more, feeling betrayed by the only person (besides Kale) that I trusted whole heartedly. She had kept a secret like this from me and I started to feel angry towards her.

It must have been around morning because my stomach gave a painful growl. I clutched my stomach and tried to ignore it. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I looked around for an escape route but saw none. All the holes between the pipes were too small to crawl through.

"Hey. I heard you took off on Miranda yesterday. She's been worried and looking for you ever since." It was Kaiden. He stayed at the opening of the small room with his hands in his pockets. I turned away from him and ignored him. He just stood there, I could feel his stare on the back of my neck; his stare indicated he was waiting to be acknowledged.

I turned to study him and I noticed a few features that looked familiar. His dark hair was the exact same color as mine, except his was dusted with grey and mine was long. His eyes had a friendly crinkle to them. I looked him up and down, his build was buff but not overly so, and he was of average height. There were a couple scars on his face but they weren't as prominent as Shepard's. His lack of a five o'clock shadow showed where they were. His presence wasn't threatening and there was something about him that allowed me to drop my guard and crawl out of my hiding spot.

"Nice to see you again Deana." He took a seat on the cot that was pushed up against the wall. He relaxed in it and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the wall. He seemed nice enough but I still didn't trust him.

I limped over to the work bench and climbed onto it. When I had completely gotten myself on top, I pulled my knees up to my face and stared at Kaiden.

"What's your relationship with Shepard?" I asked. He looked surprised that I had spoken and just looked at me. Then he smiled,

"She's my wife. For almost fifteen years." He wiggled his ring finger which held a broad silver band on it. That explains the brushed hands in the med bay. They probably told each other everything which put me back on edge. I moved to go back to my hiding spot when my stomach let out another painfully loud growl.

"When was the last time you ate?" I didn't answer him and pulled myself as far from sight as possible. He put his hands on his knees as he pushed himself off the cot. I curled myself up from how hungry I was. "You're a biotic right? It's dangerous if you don't eat." His footsteps grew faint. "I'll go get you something to eat." His footsteps disappeared and I didn't move.

When he was gone I breathed again and curled a little tighter. I was homesick and I dwelled on the fact that this whole situation was such a mess.

I didn't really care about the kidnapping anymore. It seemed like forever since it had happened but in reality it only happened yesterday. My stomach started to hurt and I cried out of frustration.

I heard footsteps again and I peeked around the corner. It was Kaiden with a plate of steaming rice and some sort of paste. He set it on the work bench and took a seat on the cot again. I looked at him; I was so hungry. But I was stubborn; I stared him down until the food on the bench went cold.

He sighed and got up from the cot. "You don't have to push everyone away Deana." He put his hands in his pockets and walked away. Only when his footsteps faded did I come out to clean the plate.


	8. Chapter 8

I had fallen asleep on the cot. Footsteps had woken me up as they echoed in the lower level. I shot up and there was a shadow descending down the stairs. I looked for a place to hide but between my ankle and time there wasn't a space available; so I pretended to be asleep.

The footsteps stopped right next to the cot and I froze, waiting for something to happen. The cot shifted and I caught my breath. They set their hand on the top of my head and started to pet it. The only person who would do that was Miranda. I sat up and bolted off the cot.

"Come now Deana, don't be childish." Miranda stood up with a bitter look on her face. She crossed her arms and put all her weight on one hip. I crawled into my hiding spot again and I pulled my knees up to my chest.

Kaiden must have told her where I was, next time I see him he's dead. A few tense minutes passed and neither of us moved.

Eventually Miranda gave up and sat defeated on the cot. She put her head in her hands and sat there. When I looked at her, her aura bleed with defeat. I slowly made my way back over to the cot. I'd never seen her like this before.

When I got close enough, her hands shot out and grabbed me. She pulled me into a tight hug and something wet hit my shoulder. Was Miranda crying? Her grip slipped and I pulled away. Her clear blue eyes were clouded with tears, the tears flowed down her face like a waterfall. She reached up to my face and wiped away the tears that I hadn't realized were flowing down my face.

"I'm sorry Aunt Miranda...I-" Miranda held me close and rocked me a little. I hadn't had this kind of comfort in years.

"If anyone should be apologizing it should be me. Deana I'm so sorry." Still holding me close, her voice was mixed with regret and relief. It must have been terrible for her, having to keep me a secret from her closest friends, and for sixteen years.

I pulled myself away and looked her straight in the eyes, "Why did you keep me a secret?" my voice showed the hurt that was reflected in my eyes.

She shifted to grip my shoulders. "Because it was never the right time; the mission was too important for distractions. " She shook her head. "Shepard's decisions would have been compromised and I couldn't risk that." She turned and stood up away from me. I stared at her in disbelief. The mission? That's right, the reapers were more important than me. I felt a little selfish as I started to get mad.

"It's been how long since the end of the reaper wars? OH that's right, FIFTEEN YEARS. And you're telling me there wasn't a right time?" I started to yell as my anger started to get to me.

Miranda started to pace the length of the room. I understood why she had done it, kept me a secret; but for this long? There were better ways that I could think of to handle the situation and those were just the ones I could think of.

I watched Miranda pace; she paced back and forth. "STOP!" I held up my hands and closed my eyes, "you're making me dizzy." I wiped away the tears from my face and sniffled. "So what are we going to do now?"

She stopped and looked at me. "I'm sending you home of course."

"WHAT? Why?" I was starting to get angry again. I'll be damned if I get sent back to Artemis without at least finding out Shepard's first name, plus finding out who my father is.

"What a damn mess," Miranda rubbed her forehead with one hand and put the other on her hip. "It's too late not to tell Shepard, Chakwas probably already mentioned something…" She babbled on for a few more minutes. "No, I guess I will have to tell her. But Deana," She pointed a finger straight at my chest. OH, now she remembers me. "You are to stay out of this. You're too young to fully understand this."

That was the last straw. I stood up to my full height; which was only five-four which compared to Miranda wasn't all that impressive. I looked at her and my body language screamed with rage.

"Try and keep me out of this, because like it or not, I AM apart of it." I stormed past her fuming. I would regret the storming later as my swollen ankle twisted again and I nearly fell. I corrected myself and proceeded up the stairs. I would be involved whether she liked it or not.


	9. Chapter 9

I heard people come out of the core as I stormed up the stairs. I stayed back and let them pass.

"Come on Gabby, let them have their fun." The woman huffed as she held onto a squirming toddler.

"Alright, but your taking care of them when one of them gets hurt, Kenneth." The child in her arms began to fuss. Two pre-teen looking kids; a boy and a girl, raced to the elevator.

The footsteps behind me started to get closer and I panicked. I decided to follow the family which put me in the elevator. Gabby still had a tight grip on the toddler who was squirming and whining. I stood close to the wall and leaned heavily on it because I was afraid my ankle would give under my weight. The elevator was crowded and noisy as all three of the kids were making some sort of noise.

The older kids were bickering and Kenneth looked annoyed. Gabby was trying to calm the small child but he was having none of it. He fought her trying to get down and then started to cry. Then the two adults decided to go at it themselves.

I felt awkward and just stared at the family. The older children must be twins; they looked about ten or eleven years old but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. My sense of age had always been bad and I had been wrong before.

The elevator finally opened up to the crew deck and the family piled out. I stayed back and watched them go, and then I limped my way out. The family of five had made their way to the kitchen and I headed to the med bay. My ankle was protesting the entire way.

I limped my way inside and found the doctor with Shepard. She was topless and I noticed all the scars that wove and intertwined with each other. They were all over her arms and torso. When she heard me come in, she slipped on her N7 jacket and zipped it up.

"Deana, please have a seat on a bed. I will be with you in a moment." She turned back to Shepard and I hopped my way over to a bed. "I'm sorry Shepard but there doesn't seem to be a change. After all the damage your body has taken over the years I'm surprised you can even handle the treatments."

"It's alright doc, I wasn't expecting anything different." She hopped off the bed and ignored me. "I'll see you soon?" She paused with her hands in her jacket and half turned to the door.

"Yes, next week. And don't give up just yet Lila…we'll figure something out." Chakwas smiled but her eyes held a little sadness.

"Fine next week. See ya then." Shepard then turned completely and walked out. She then walked over to where the family of five was sitting at the mess table and I watched her interact with Kenneth and Gabby. She then picked up the toddler and lifted him up into her arms. A smile spread across her face and she looked happier than I had seen her. My heart wrenched a little and I felt a little bit jealous.

"Alright it's your turn." Chakwas helped me sit on the bed as it was too tall for me to get up on my own. She then pulled up my wrapped foot and started to up wrap it. I tried not to cringe; my ankle had swollen so big that I was surprised I could move it at all. It hurt too; she sighed and scolded me for running off before. After she had rewrapped it, she went to the closet in the corner and pulled out a pair of old fashioned crutches.

"You're to use these for the next week." She gestured for me to get down so she could measure and adjust the crutches. I groaned but let her position the crutches under my arms. She adjusted them and then taught me how to use them. I learned quickly and started doing laps in the med bay. She smiled and watched me go back and forth. "Now stay off that foot. Understand? Come see me again if you have any problems. Other than that I will see you again in a week." She packed up the trash and the extra wrappings and put them where they needed to go.

"Yes Ma'am" I mock saluted her and nearly fell over. She grabbed me before I could fall. "Thanks." I said as I regained my ground. She smiled and then shooed me out of the bay.

The mess hall was now empty, with the exception of a few crew members who were chatting at the mess table.

I looked around deciding what to do. The clicking sound that my crutches made echoed throughout the mess as I made my way to the elevator. I got there and punched in a random floor. The small lift closed its door and started to move at a snail's pace. I hadn't realized how slow this thing was because the last two times I had been in here I had been emotionally compromised.

A few minutes later the elevator stopped on the top floor. I peeked my head out the door and looked both ways. I heard voices coming from the door across the small alcove and I moved as quietly as I could toward the door.

"Are you sure you're alright Lila? You look a little pale." It was Kaiden's voice.

"I'm fine Kaiden, just tired." Shepard sounded exhausted.

"Well then you should rest. Something else is bothering you though I can tell, want to talk about it?"

"That girl was in the med bay again." I stiffened at the mention of me.

"Miranda's girl?" Kaiden sounded confused.

"Yea her. I don't trust her Kaiden, something doesn't seem right."

"How so?"

"I don't know how to describe it. She just seems to…I couldn't get Miranda to give up where the girl came from and knowing Miranda….well something isn't right or we're missing huge pieces of the puzzle. She seems so familiar yet I know we have never met."

"I had a chat with her earlier, just to get to know her." Kaiden's voice had faded a little and I leaned in closer to hear everything he said. "She seems normal, and I don't think she knows anything that's going on. This trip was supposed to be relaxing Shepard and it's been anything but. What did Chakwas say about the treatments?"

"She said nothing's changed." Shepard's voice cracked at that statement. "I don't know how much more of this I can take Kaiden. Karen sounded hopeful though, I guess that's what we have to hold onto." I heard shifting in the room and then muffled sobs.

What kind of treatments was she receiving? It would be devastating if I lost her when I had just got her. My mind raced through worse case scenarios and I panicked. My crutches crashed to the floor and I fell against the opposite wall.

The door then opened and a tear stained Shepard glared down at me.

"What the HELL are you doing up here?"


	10. Chapter 10

I jumped and pulled my knees to my chest. "I just.."

"NO answer the damn question," she was furious; her face was red. "NOW!"

Tears sprung to my eyes. I wasn't used to being yelled at like this and quite frankly Shepard was scary.

"Shepard..." Kaiden had put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. She turned on him and returned to the cabin still fuming. Kaiden sighed and held out his hand to help me up.

"Thanks." I said as I took his hand and grabbed the crutches to stand up. I leaned up against the wall and wiped the tears off my face.

"You alright? Sorry about Lila, she's just going through some stuff." His face turned sad but the expression was gone as soon as it came.

"I'm fine. I'll just..." I moved towards the elevator and the clicking noises began to thoroughly annoy me.

"Wait," I turned and Shepard was standing in the doorway. "Why don't you come in?" I paused and thought about it for a moment. I stared at her and she didn't flinch. I looked at Kaiden and his brows were creased looking at Shepard.

"Fine." My crutches clicked as I made my way through the door. The room was spotless; the bed neatly made at the bottom of a small set of steps. The fish tank glowed and I clicked closer. "WHOA!" There were a lot of fish in the tank. Most of them exotic which just made the tank that much cooler. Kaiden put a hand on my shoulder and I turned to look at him. He gestured to the couch below the steps. He helped me hobble down the steps and I plopped myself onto the couch.

"I hate these things." I mutter to myself as I leaned the crutches against the couch.

"I know how you feel; I had to use those for months. Well not those specifically but a newer model." Shepard didn't look at me and she sat in the farthest spot away from me. Her head was leaned against her palm with her elbow sitting on the side table. Kaiden stood from the stairs awkwardly with his arms crossed. His expression showed confusion and worry as he was staring at Shepard.

"So..." I said awkwardly.

"Why were you listening at the door?" I blinked a couple times at Shepard. She hadn't moved at all and didn't show any signs of being angry. I remained silent and looked down into my lap fiddling with the fringe of my tattered uniform. I just realized that I hadn't changed since the kidnapping.

When I didn't answer, she stared at me waiting. Her look was anxious but in no way threatening. What had happened in those few seconds from when she had stormed off to now? Dramatic mood swings for sure.

"I wanted to talk with you...but I planned on exploring a little more but I guess it can't wait now." I didn't look at her.

"What did you want to talk about?" She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward on them.

"Well I..." All of a sudden the door to the cabin opened and Miranda walked in.

"I'm sorry to intrude Shepard but I believe Deana needs to come with me." Miranda stood at the top of the stairs with her arms crossed.

"But I..." I looked between the adults and every one was silent. Kaiden still had the worried expression on his face and Shepard just looked at Miranda. Miranda was looking at me and when our eyes met I could see the worry in her eyes.

"If you say so Lawson, she's your responsibility." Shepard's face had become a mask. I could tell she wasn't happy with Miranda.

"Come on, Deana." Miranda came over and handed me the crutches. I reluctantly got up and hobbled my way over to the door.

" I guess I will see you later then?" My voice hinted the hope I was feeling.

Kaiden picked his head up from the hanging position it had just been in. "Yea we will see you later Deana." And he smiled at me.

Shepard added, " It's a ship...of course we'll be seeing you around. We're not hermits."

I smiled back at them and Miranda followed me out.


	11. Chapter 11

Miranda kept a close eye on me for the rest of the week. Though I bugged the hell out of her, she still insisted on staying with me. Helping me when I needed it ect., and she was starting to drive me insane. I was also starting to get a little bit of cabin fever.

"PLEASE..." I would beg to Miranda to let me do something for myself.

"NO for the hundredth time. You will stay here and don't whine, its not becoming." She set the food down in front of me, "now eat before it gets cold."

That's pretty much how my entire week went. Though I did have some visitors; everyone in the crew had stopped by to introduce themselves to me, and they sometimes brought something to do.

Kaiden had stopped by at the beginning of the week with two men who introduced themselves as James Vega and Steve Cortez. Cortez was much quieter than Vega; and they had brought a deck of cards. They taught me how to play a poker game named Texas hold 'em. Not their traditional game, but they said that their usual game would be inappropriate. It got me wondering exactly what these men did in their free time.

It's not that Miranda didn't allow the visits, but she certainly wasn't happy about it. I also got an email from Oriana. It seems that Aunt Miranda had informed her about what had transpired over the last few days. She wasn't to happy about it either; she sounded worried but was glad I was safe. And that was it, the entire email consisted of just that. Oh well, at least she cared enough to send a message.

Grunt showed up on Friday and by far the most entertaining guest I've had. He decided that it would be a brilliant idea if we snuck out and go down to the cargo hold. My ankle had healed enough so that I could walk on it. We ended up fighting and destroying half the bay. Shepard was first to show up to and wasn't exactly happy. Though she laughed about it later and told Grunt to just watch where he's charging next time. Miranda on the other hand was absolutely furious. Her face turned red and her biotics punched a hole through one of the crates nearest to her. I've been in trouble ever since.

The following Tuesday was when I had my next doctors appointment.

"Well everything seems to be fine. No evidence of anymore issues and that ankle as healed up quite nicely. I'm surprised you didn't twist it again or even break it after what happened down in the cargo bay." The look she gave me was one of disapproval and I blushed with embarrassment.

"So..." I said trying to change the subject, "Am I good to go? Please tell me I am because Aunt Miranda is driving me CRAZY!" I looked at her with wide green puppy eyes, practically begging for her to say those words that would set me free.

"Yes, your healthy enough to do anything you like again." She looked at me and smiled, then turned around and picked up a data pad.

"YES!" I launched off the table and sprinted towards the door.


	12. Chapter 12

"WAIT!" I froze mid run on my way out the door, "I'm not done with you yet." She walked up to me and lead me back to the bed. I hopped back onto it and watched her as she walked around scrolling through something on the data pad she was holding.

"What's up?" I said while swinging my legs.I had a bad feeling I knew where this was headed and I didn't like it.

"I wanted to talk about your parentage results." She looked up from the data pad and looked at me. Yep, there it was; the thing I didn't want to talk about.

"I'm sorry if I stepped over any lines but I went ahead and took some blood and did a DNA test. I had some suspicions just by looking at you but I had to be sure. Deana, is there any possible way that you could be related to the General and Shepard?" I didn't see her expression because I wouldn't look at her. It was silent in the med bay for a long time.

"Deana..." she said, breaking the silence.

"I don't know...I had my suspicions as well but I never had the resources to confirm it. Miranda doesn't want me involved in any of this." I still didn't look at her. "Miranda confirmed that Shepard was my mother but she didn't say anything about my father."

"I see...Well since they both are aboard this ship I have access to their medical records. I already took the liberty of comparing yours and the two personnel in question. Take a look for yourself." She held out the glowing data pad and just held it there. I just stared at it, what ever was in that file could change my life for better or worse. If for the better than great, I guess. I still wasn't sure how I would deal if they really were my parents. How would they react? Did they not want anything to do with me?

I took a deep breath before I looked through the information on the screen. I stopped at a chart that had DNA strands on them. Thanks to my biology classes I semi understood what was there. I scrolled a little farther down and found a green bar that had the words, 'Positive Match' blinking in white letters.


	13. Chapter 13

I nearly dropped the data pad. Positive, that means...

The door to the medical bay opened and Miranda walked in. Still being in shock I couldn't wrap my head around everything just yet. I just looked at her and She just froze in the doorway.

"Deana? Is something wrong?" Miranda's voice was concerned but she didn't move. Her voice knocked me out of my state of shock and my expression turned furious.

"Why?" I said through clenched teeth. I only found out later that my biotics had started to show and that I had started to glow.

"Deana, what are you..." She looked at the data pad that hung loosely in my hand. Her expression changed instantly to understanding. " I see." She didn't look directly at me as I got off the table. I was angry and not thinking rationally when I said,

" I want you to look me in the EYE and tell me WHY!" Tears threatened to fall but I kept a hold on them. She looked at me and walked closer.

" I already told you why, because the mission was too important for distractions." Her gaze was distant and hard.

"For YEARS I waited, all those questions and you just ignored me, pretended they didn't exist." My biotic field was getting stronger. " Don't you think I had the right to know?"

"I knew you were going to react EXACTLY like this." Miranda was starting to get worked up. Her hands were on her hips and there was frustration in her eyes. "Shepard didn't need to know. She thought clearer and made the decisions she had to because according to her she had nothing to lose, except Kaiden but even then they both knew the risks. If she had known Deana she would have chosen differently and put everything and everyone at risk."

A voice appeared at the door way and both of us turned to see that Lila Shepard was standing in the door way with Kaiden standing behind her. "And how the HELL would you know that Miranda?"


	14. Chapter 14

"Shepard!" Miranda was trying to hide the shock that had appeared on her pale face. My biotics had reached their limit and I needed to release the building pressure. So out of fury and pain, I threw a blue sphere at Miranda.

"THATS ENOUGH!" Kaiden had stepped in and had put up a field to protect Miranda. I stood there breathing hard, all my energy had been put into that one attack and I was suddenly exhausted. My vision blurred and I started to sway.

Before I knew it I was caught by Kaiden and being carried back to the bed. I groaned as I started to feel sick to my stomach. The world started to spin and I closed my eyes.

Someone was arguing, the voices were muffled and I couldn't understand what they were saying. I felt someone examining my eyes with a small flashlight and made sure my implants hadn't fried.

After a few minutes I started to understand what they were saying.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! How could you? You didn't give me a chance." It was Shepard and she sounded kind of distraught.

"I knew the risks and weighted them against what I thought was best." It was obviously Miranda's voice.

"No, you followed what the Illusive Man wanted. I only partially blame you."

"That is NOT true, the Illusive Man wanted to KILL her. It's because of me that she is alive." Everyone went silent. I kept my eyes closed and listened very carefully. " I didn't have a lot of maneuvering space to keep her from the Illusive Man but somehow I pulled it off." I heard a chair scoot out and maybe someone sitting in it.

"Deana was born on December 8, 2184. She was obviously extremely premature and shes a true fighter." Miranda paused so that everyone could absorb this new information.

" Everything was going extremely well with you Shepard so when we removed the embryo I knew that she could have survived; even with the impossible odds. Deana was taken to a different facility and was virtually grown in a test tube. I had no idea what would have happened if the Illusive Man would have done if he had found out. The reason you were so expensive to put back together Shepard is because of Deana. I charged the Illusive Man and told him all funds were going into you."

Someone was moving around and another person pulled out the other chair.

"So how did you manage to keep something this big from virtually the entire universe?" Kaiden sounded close to the bed.

"I honestly couldn't tell you Kaiden. I got daily reports on how she was doing. I started to think of developmental issues that could have occurred from being frozen and jostled around so much so early in development. There were so many unknowns about her and I wasn't entirely sure if she would be alright in the long run. I was scared for her safety and made damn sure that nothing or anyone would harm her. I personally took care of her when she was a baby. She was born perfectly healthy and we ran hundreds of tests to test for specific mutations that could have occurred. I had just arrived back at Lazarus when the station was attacked."

"So let me get this straight," It was Shepard who was speaking; "your telling us that you kept our baby a secret from the entire universe? Even from herself Deana had no idea who she was, what her place was."

" At the age of two months old, Deana contracted a virus that lead to an infection in her ears. Because Deana had a weak immune system it spread quickly. We had to watch her constantly and filled her little body with antibiotics to keep the infection at bay. Unfortunately, we couldn't prevent the loss of her hearing." Miranda's voice got melancholic as the speech went on.

"But I know she can hear now, how did you manage that?" Shepard's voice was filled with concern.

" There are devices that can stimulate the brain that controls your ability to hear, but to perform the surgery on one so young; it's almost unheard of." Chakwas sounded astonished.

"I know, I weighted the risks and decided to take her to where she could be helped. Thankfully it worked and she's grown up healthy ever since."

I felt a hand brush the hair out of my face and I felt someone stare at me. I just laid there, listening to someone tell me my own past and I wasn't believing a word of it. I decided to open my eyes and stare back at whom ever was staring at me. It was Miranda; her blue eyes were staring right at me. I didn't say anything; I sat up and looked at everyone.

"Miranda I want to say thank you for taking care of Deana all these years." Everyone looked at Shepard.

"Shepard..." Kaiden's tone was one of warning and I tensed up a little bit.

Shepard stepped closer to Miranda and looked her right in the eye," But I cannot forgive you for what you've done." She pulled back her already clenched fist and decked Miranda in the face.


	15. Chapter 15

**GUYS! Please I really need you to comment...this story is starting to slip so I need comments and or suggestions and where the story could go. Im begging you please comment, what you like what you hate, anything would be helpful. **

**Thank you**

**Elissa **


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